Aaron E. Waite

Infobox Judge
name = Aaron E. Waite


imagesize =
caption =
office = 4th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
termstart = 1859
termend = 1862
nominator =
appointer =
predecessor = George Henry Williams
successor = Reuben P. Boise
office2 = 10th Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
termstart2 = 1859
termend2 = 1862
nominator2 =
appointer2 =
predecessor2 = George Henry Williams
successor2 = William W. Page
birthdate = December 28 1813
birthplace = Whately, Massachusetts
deathdate = December 1898
deathplace = Portland, Oregon
spouse =

Aaron E. Waite (Wait) (December 28 1813-December 1898) was an American judge and politician. He was the 4th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court serving from 1859 to 1862. He was the first chief justice after Oregon became a state on February 14 1859. A Massachusetts native, Waite also served in the Oregon Territorial Legislature.

Early life

Aaron Waite was born on December 28 1813 in Franklin County, Massachusetts where he was raised by his grandfather and an uncle.Corning, Howard M. "Dictionary of Oregon History". Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.] His father had died as a soldier in the War of 1812. [http://www.ojd.state.or.us/clt/about/judges.html Clatsop County District Court Judges.] Oregon Judicial Department. Retrieved on January 20 2008.] At the age of 14 he became an apprentice broom maker before leaving for New York City at age 20. Once there he taught as an assistant teacher on Long Island before moving west in 1837 and settled in Michigan. There he studied law under judge Columbia Lancaster and was admitted to the bar in 1842, later becoming the secretary for governor J. S. Barry of Michigan.

Oregon

Then in 1847 Waite headed to Oregon Country in a wagon train of 40 wagons. This included Judge Lancaster and Lancaster’s family. Once in Oregon he set up a law practice in Oregon City, Oregon, and worked on the "Oregon Spectator" newspaper. Waite then fought in the Cayuse War before leaving for the gold fields of California in 1849, only to return within a few years.

Politics

Upon returning he was elected as a commissioner to audit the claims from the Cayuse War. Then in 1852 he served in the Oregon Territory House of Representatives. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/territorial/1852reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (4th Territorial) 1852 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 20 2008.] Following an absence from the legislature he returned as a member of the upper chamber Council in 1857 and 1858 serving as a Democrat. [ [http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/territorial/1857reg.htm Oregon Legislative Assembly (9th Territorial) 1857 Regular Session.] Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on January 20 2008.]

In 1858 he ran and was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court.cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Oregon Supreme Court Justices
work = Oregon Blue Book
publisher = Oregon Secretary of State
date =
url = http://www.bluebook.state.or.us/state/elections/elections27.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-05-03 ] Prior to this the judges were appointed by the U.S. President as Oregon was still a territory. Wait’s term began in 1859 and he served on the state’s highest court until resigning on May 1, 1862. During that same time he served as the chief justice of the court.

Later years

Waite married twice and had a total of six children, of which both of his wives and four of the children died before him. After serving on the court he retired to his convert|600|acre|km2|sing=on farm that was located in Clackamas County. Then in 1891 he moved to Portland, Oregon where he died in December 1898.

References